Chicago Critic

Date Me!

By Noemi Schlosser and Ahsan Naeem

Produced by Salomee Speelt and ShPIel Performing Identity

At Theatre Wit, Chicago

You know how I feel out of place until I’m levered off my face

Date Me! is sort of like the Coupling to Sound of Silence’s Othelo.  It’s very silly, almost entirely tongue-in-cheek, and yet still very true to life.  It’s far-reaching and ambitious – maybe a little too big for its own britches – improvisational and conversational.

The story – loosely defined – is about two single women, Noemi Schlosser and Michelle Slonim, at the wedding reception of Noemi’s younger sister.  She’s taken Michelle as her date, in lieu of any male presence in her life.  While they down champagne and cocaine like it’s Cristal and good rock, they bemoan their sex lives (or lack thereof), their past relationship triumphs and squalid failures.  On the fringes of the scene is the bridegroom’s brother, Brandon Galatz or Josh Odor, who is DJing the event.  He stops by the girls’ table to chat, flirt and joke around.

Overall, it’s a funny 80 minutes or so.  Very of-the-times – young, hip, bawdy.  It’s plenty shambolic, though, and feels more like a living, improvisational performance rather than a set piece of theatre.  Noemi and Michelle have a great rapport and good comic timing, which is sure to only get better as the run goes on and they get more used to live audiences.  Date Me! is definitely good for a fun, light trip to the theatre, but might be best observed under a similar state to the characters onstage.  Still, at this point it remains fairly rough around the edges.

Somewhat recommended

Will Fink

Reviewed on 11.16

For full show information, visit TheatreInChicago.

At Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago, IL; call 773-975-8150 or visit www.theaterwit.org; tickets $20; performances Fridays at 7:30, Saturdays at 8:30, Sundays at 3pm; running time is approximately 80 minutes without intermission; through Dec. 17.